Most writers have suffered from a bad critique at some time in their career and they know how much damage can be done by it. Choosing the right critique partner will ensure that your feedback is genuine and constructive, helping you rather than hindering.

Why You Need a Critique

Critiques provide you with an objective and honest view of your work. While your best mate may gush over your work, they may not spot the problems that a good critique writer will.

Where To Find a Critique Partner

Go to your library, writers groups in the area, bookstores, even the local college English department. You can also find online sites that will provide critique partners but do be sure to check groups that are dedicated to your particular genre.

What You Want in a Critique Partner

First, don’t use your family, neighbors, friends or anyone who won't want to hurt your feelings. You need someone who has experience and knows the publishing industry, your genre, the market and so on. They must be able to quantify their reasoning based on experience and/or education so make sure you get an idea of their worth in advance. You want someone who is helpful and respectful, providing constructive feedback without making you feel like an idiot.

Make Your Expectations Clear

What is it you want? An opinion on your plot? Characters? Pacing? Or are you looking for someone to line edit your work to pick up typos or mistakes? Tell your critique partner exactly what you are looking for so you don’t end up in conflict later on.

Set turnaround times; if you have a deadline for submitting your work, your critique partner must be able to fit in with that deadline.

Online or Face-to-Face?

If you can talk to your partner online, you have much more flexibility in terms of time and you don’t have to hang around waiting for the next meeting. A face-to-face critique can be somewhat heated at times whereas online feedback is somewhat more tactful. They can take time to write their comments better than they can say them and you have time to respond.

You or they may also be influenced by physical presence. If you dress badly and mumble, they will already have a preconception about your work! While they shouldn’t, appearances do count sometimes. An online critique sees only your writing.

Other Things to Consider

While you should take on board everything they say, you don’t need to implement every little change your critique partner suggests. Think very carefully before you make any changes.

Be prepared to take some criticism, that’s what they are there for. You need to be a bit thick-skinned and not take too much too personally. If you can't handle criticism you might not be ready for the world of writing.

If you are doing a critique for your partner, do show them the same consideration and respect you want to receive back. Be specific and helpful in your comments and don’t forget to tell them what you like about their work as well. Writers need to know about their strengths as well as their weaknesses and everybody likes to be told something good every once in a while.